How to build a creatiVision power supply

Discuss the CreatiVision hardware: models, revisions, fixing, hacking and modding.
Roxbury
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Re: How to build a creatiVision power supply

Post by Roxbury » Tue Jan 27, 2015 11:07 am

I am planning to build a replacement power supply for PAL Dick Smith Wizzard. I have had a look at http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=MM2005 and think that this transformer will do the job. It will provide the required voltages for AC output, and plenty of amps. I will mount it in a case etc. Does anybody have any feedback on this transformer? My self taught knowledge tells me it should be OK?
Mamejay
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Re: How to build a creatiVision power supply

Post by Mamejay » Wed Jan 28, 2015 9:23 am

I am curious to know also. I might contact Jaycar and see if one of there staff can shed some light.
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Scouter3d
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Re: How to build a creatiVision power supply

Post by Scouter3d » Wed Jan 28, 2015 1:36 pm

Hi, reading the specs of the jaycar trafo - it should work fine...
PS: the TI-99/4a PSU's (from back in the 80ies) have 18V (AC) and 9V (AC) also... might be a replacement (but they are also hard to comebye and honestly i never tried it...)
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carlsson
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Re: How to build a creatiVision power supply

Post by carlsson » Wed Jan 28, 2015 1:51 pm

Supposedly the SVI-318/328 power supply also carries those voltages and has the same power connector as TI. I always thought those two had internally different pinouts, but based on what I can see they're mostly the same. However that connector appears hard to find, so you'd need a strong dedication to sacrifice a spare one for reusing with the CreatiVision.

Too bad about the Doss one mentioned previously, the one that was out of production. It was both inexpensive and seemingly appeared as a CreatiVision slot-in PSU, unless you possibly had to rearrange the DIN connector. I believe there are more devices out there who operate with the same two AC voltages and amperages, just that we don't know which those devices are so we can find their replacement PSU's.
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carlsson
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Re: How to build a creatiVision power supply

Post by carlsson » Wed Feb 11, 2015 9:26 am

Did any of you go ahead with building or otherwise finding a power supply? It turns out that at least three of my friends own supposedly working CreatiVision consoles, but only one of them (myself excluded) got a power supply so two of my friends are sitting on "dead" hardware because they have no means to power it.

Apart från TI-99/4A and Spectravideo, it struck me that the FD-148 floppy drive (Commodore 1541 alternative) shares the same connector as the TI and SVI, and also the same AC voltages and roughly the same amperages as all of these systems expect. It suggests to me that 9VAC + 16-18VAC once was a fairly common combination, and given that Doss up until recently used to sell a custom PSU with those specs, there ought to be a market. However I have realized that even plain 9VAC transformers tend to be rather pricy compared to e.g. 9VDC power supplies, either due to lower demand or that it is more complex to wire a transformer than a circuit to rectify and reduce wall wart AC in to low voltage DC out.
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carlsson
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Re: How to build a creatiVision power supply

Post by carlsson » Mon Jun 08, 2015 2:44 pm

Speaking of Elfa's sale, I just noticed they have a few transformers on sale too! Unfortunately neither perfectly matches the original Creativision PSU, which outputs 9VAC @ 1A + 16.5VAC @ 250 mA (with rectifiers and regulators inside the console).

2x9VAC 16VA transformer with 888 mA on each loop, which would be a bit on the weak side but perhaps the two loops could be connected in serial to get up to 1.77A?
It used to cost 130 SEK, now 46.90 + VAT ~= $7 plus shipping.
https://www.elfa.se/elfa3~se_sv/elfa/in ... &toc=18744

2x15VAC 25VA transformer with 833 mA on each loop, so plenty to substitute the 16.5VAC, assuming it anyway gets regulated to 12VDC inside.
It used to cost 155 SEK, now 59.80 + VAT = ~$9 plus shipping.
https://www.elfa.se/elfa3~se_sv/elfa/in ... &toc=18744

Depending on where you live, you might be able to find cheaper items elsewhere, but I believe those prices are fairly competitive, at least for me up north they seem quite affordable. Even if they're not ideal for Creativision use, I'm sure there could be other applications where those come handy.
Roxbury
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Re: How to build a creatiVision power supply

Post by Roxbury » Fri Sep 25, 2015 5:00 am

Its been a while but in reply to Carlssons post I ended up getting an original power supply so didn't end up making one.
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carlsson
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Re: How to build a creatiVision power supply

Post by carlsson » Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:13 pm

Hey! I just realized the internal transformer in a common Commodore 1541 floppy drive (not the 1541-II thus) has two windings, one that should be good for 16VAC ~0.8A and one for 9VAC ~1.5A. Internally it has additional circuitry to rectify and bring down those voltages to DC which is what the 1541 drive uses.

It makes me curious to get a shabby 1541 drive (or perhaps just about any other device with a similar transformer) and see if it is possible to tap those two AC voltages and feed into a Creativision at the right pins. If that would be doable, yet again we have a case where unwanted Commodore stuff could be used to enhance Creativision stuff.
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Scouter3d
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Re: How to build a creatiVision power supply

Post by Scouter3d » Fri Oct 16, 2015 11:05 am

Hi Carlsson!
Great Idea! I am curious if it is going to work!
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Roxbury
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Re: How to build a creatiVision power supply

Post by Roxbury » Tue Dec 01, 2015 12:16 pm

Well by fluke I found an fd-148 power supply in my box of c64 power supplies, and a svi318 power supply in a box of bits and pieces I received. I can confirm they work, just have a different connector. I will hold onto these as I bet I will never find any more if I need them!
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